Chiranjeevi almost in, scramble for 3 RS seats

HYDERABAD: With the Congress sources claiming that Chiranjeevi has been virtually assured of a Rajya Sabha nomination, aspirants for a place in the upper house have began lobbying for the remaining three seats that the ruling party can expect to bag in the elections slated to take place in April next year.

The term of six members, Dasari Narayana Rao, Rashid Alvi, K Keshava Rao, G Sanjeeva Reddy (Congress), M V Mysura Reddy (TDP) and Syed Azeez Pasha (CPI) will be over on Apirl 2, 2012. Considering their respective strengths in the state Assembly, the Congress can bag four of the six seats while the TDP can be assured of the remaining two. Last time around, the Congress had given one seat to then ally CPI, a gesture that will not happen now as the two have parted ways.

With Chiranjeevi set to be given one of the four seats that the Congress can win, a scramble has begun for the three other seats. Of the four sitting Congress elders who would retire, despite having served two terms from the state, the Congress is likely to consider giving Rashid Alvi a third term in view of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh where the party will expect the MP to mobilize minority votes in its favour.

According to the sources, the party might also not want to antagonize powerful INTUC leader Sanjeeva Reddy by denying him a re-nomination. Of the other two, Dasari Narayana Rao and Keshava Rao have both completed two terms, and the sources said if not one of them, both could make way for new faces. "The problem with Keshava Rao is that the Congress is apprehensive that he may end up as a nuisance in case he is not nominated for a third term. At present the relations between KK and the party leadership is far from cosy in view of his aggressive pro-Telangana stance," said the sources.

In the meantime, new hopefuls have begun lobbying for the ruling party nomination to the upper house. At least three important leaders from the state are said to be among the aspirants. They are former MP Mallu Ravi, AICC spokesperson Renuka Choudhary and former speaker K R Suresh Reddy. Apart from them, senior Telangana Congress leader and former PCC president P Narasa Reddy is also said to be in the race.

As per the indications available from New Delhi, Chiranjeevi is likely to be inducted into the Union ministry in January 2012. In all probability, he will take the place of Dasari, a Kapu leader from Coastal Andhra.

The sources said that Renuka has already started lobbying in New Delhi while Mallu Ravi met chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy last week to press for his nomination.

The problem for Ravi is that though he can claim to be close to the CM, Suresh Reddy, another RS aspirant, is also said to be in the inner circle of Kiran Kumar.

The lobbying by the sitting members for re-nomination as well as fresh aspirants for membership of the upper house is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.